Padres general manager A.J. Preller is never shy around the MLB Trade Deadline. On Sunday morning he made his first impactful move, addressing one of the club’s biggest weaknesses.
Preller sent three prospects to Tampa Bay for high-octane reliever Jason Adam, who owns a career 2.30 ERA over three seasons while striking out better than a hitter an inning. He’s worked primarily in a setup role for the Rays, which is likely how Padres manager Mike Shildt will employ him.
San Diego has had trouble getting the ball from their starters to All-Star closer Robert Suarez this season so they expect Adam to help cover some late-inning situations and, at the very least, take some of the burden off of Suarez, who has been asked to cover more than three outs more often than any closer in baseball in 2023.
Adam also has two more years of arbitration eligibility, giving the Friars contractual control through 2026. He’s only making $2.7 million this season, an importantly low number as Preller tries to reshape the roster while staying under the Competitive Balance Tax. To do that he had to part with some really good prospects.
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The Padres are sending starting pitcher Dylan Lesko, outfielder Homer Bush Jr., and catcher J.D. Gonzalez to the Rays. Lesko was their 1st round draft pick in 2022, when he was regarded as the best high school arm in the class. Lesko was coming off Tommy John surgery at the time and, while his stuff is still electric, he’s had command issues in his first full pro season at High-A Fort Wayne.
Bush Jr. and Gonzalez, both mid-round selections in the 2023 Draft, have impressed in their professional debuts. Bush Jr. has 43 steals at Fort Wayne while Gonzalez has been doing a majority of the catching at Single-A Lake Elsinore.
The Friars are expected to make at least one more move prior to Tuesday’s deadline, most likely for a starting pitcher. A corner outfield bat and catching depth might also be on their To-Do list but the offense is not in need of as much reinforcement as the rotation.
